In a world where it seems that all of today’s youth are only concerned with piercing and tattoos, it is refreshing to meet people like my distant cousin, Lydia, and her husband Kawn. People like them give one hope for the future.
After a large breakfast Tuesday morning we learned how to use the Portland mass transit system called MAX (Metro Area Xpress). We took it from our hotel through the center of Portland to the Goose Hollow stop near Washington Park. Here we met Lydia, whom we hadn’t seen in about nine years, and her husband Kawn Beyoud who is from Morocco. They are in the process of relocating to Washington, DC, and because they had given their notice at work they were free to show us around which they graciously did.
First they drove us to Washington Park where we walked throughout the rose garden and then through the Japanese Garden. It inspired me to create a Japanese garden at our house in Wimberley but hopefully we have time for that to wear off. From the park we had clear views of Mt. Hood in the distance. Next they drove us through most of the chic neighborhoods of metro Portland – Stadium, Pearl, Downtown, River, and Waterfront Districts. We drove east of the Willamette River and had a tasty lunch at the Widmer Brew Pub with very good micro-brew beer. After lunch they drove us around Portland some more and about 3:00 pm we requested they drop us off at a MAX stop. We went back to our hotel and Rita rested while I went to get a haircut.
We met them again around 7:00 pm and walked to a nice outdoor restaurant called Violetta café where we had another good meal and conversation. Afterwards we walked through the Portland State University campus where Lydia had worked up to last Friday. Kawn obtained his law degree from Lewis and Clark University in Portland and practiced law up until their upcoming move. Lydia has been accepted to American University in Washington, DC, for her master’s degree in journalism. After walking down to the riverfront we finally said our goodbyes and parted ways. We wish them the best of luck.
Wednesday morning we had a hearty breakfast in our hotel and were away about 9:00 am. We explored eastern Portland (more than we wanted to) by getting lost en route to a quilting store Rita wanted to visit. Luckily we were in good neighborhoods because we both remember reading “Bonfire of the Vanities”. After Rita finished shopping we headed around Portland on I-205 and headed west to the vineyards of Willamette Valley known for their pinot noirs. First we stopped at the Ponzi winery and sampled their wine. We drove through Tualatin, Sherwood, and Newberg where we had a fine lunch at the Subterra wine cellar and more pinot noir.
After lunch we drove west to explore the Oregon Coast starting at Lincoln City and driving south on highway 101. The day was coming to a close and we found a nice hotel called The Inn at Otter Crest that was secluded with views of the Pacific Ocean from our room. The weather turned cloudy during the day so we did not have the sunshine of yesterday but the views were great anyway.
Thursday morning we woke to sunshine and coolish temperatures where we spent the night near Newport. We could sit in bed with our coffee and see seals lounging on rocks below. Sometimes we luck out on hotels and this was one of them. This Inn at Otter Crest was situated on a hill and we were given one of the best rooms in the hotel – at the top of the hill with views overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We even had a funicular tram to carry us up and down from the parking lot. And the price was very reasonable.
We started the day’s sightseeing at Cape Foulweather, named by Captain Cook. We were high over the ocean and joined a small group of people looking at something below. They were watching a gray whale. We remained there 30 or 45 minutes watching the gray whale surface about every 5 minutes, blow off his steam, and swim around a bit on the surface before diving again.
Continuing down the coast we stopped again at Yaquina Head where we saw thousands of nesting birds, mostly common murres and Brant’s cormorants but also a couple of bald eagles. We saw several sea lions or seals and, of course, the Yaquina Head lighthouse. Views from here were terrific and the sun came out nicely. We drove south along highway 101 which would drop down alongside wide empty beaches and then climb up giving fantastic views of the ocean, cliffs, beaches, and evergreen forests. We stopped again at Heceta Head lighthouse viewpoint for more photos.
In Florence we stopped for lunch at the locally famous Mo’s seafood restaurant. I had a cup of their acclaimed clam chowder with fish and chips while Rita had shrimp-stuffed avocado. After the late lunch we walked around historic downtown Florence a while and topped off lunch with ice cream. Back on the road we stopped further south at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and watched ATVs and dune buggies climb the large sand dunes. At Reedsport we headed inland (east) on highway 38 which is an Oregon scenic byway along the Umpqua River. There were overlooks to watch the local herd of Roosevelt elks but it was the wrong time of day for wildlife.
In Elkton we had to stop for an espresso as we were too sleepy to continue. That woke us up. We took highway 138 to I-5 where we headed south to our destination, Medford. Medford is the headquarters of the famous Harry and David gourmet food company. The scenery along I-5 was once more impressive with large pine forests on the sides of mountains. In Medford we found our hotel and ordered a calzone and salad to be delivered to our room. We didn’t feel like going out this evening.
Friday morning the sky was clear and a warming trend was in effect. We had breakfast at our hotel, washed a load of laundry, and stopped at a store for some supplies so we were late getting away. But our destination, Crater Lake National Park, wasn’t far. In the little town of Union Creek we stopped at Beckie’s Café. If you like pie and you are in this area you should stop at Beckie’s Café. They have several pies for dessert and we had a difficult time choosing. Rita went for fresh cherry pie while I had a strawberry cream pie right out of the oven. Yummy!
We entered Crater Lake National Park from the south because the night before their website said that the north entrance and Rim Road were closed because of snow. The north entrance and West Rim Road were opened two hours before we arrived. Crater Lake is one of the snowiest national parks and this past winter they had about 649 inches of snowfall. That’s a lot of snow and there is still a lot on the ground (see photos). All the trails in the park are still closed and won’t open for some time.
We drove to the Crater Lake Lodge, built in 1913, and checked in. I was lucky to get reservations last April as rooms book up a year ahead sometimes. After we settled in we saw the Crater Lake for the first time – we were impressed. Crater Lake is at 7,100 feet and about five miles across but in the clear air it didn’t seem that far. The water was bright blue like the cloudless sky. The East Rim Road is still closed so we couldn’t drive around the lake but we did take the West Rim Road to the north entrance cutoff. We stopped several times for different views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island, a volcanic cone. Crater Lake should be on everyone’s bucket list. It is one of the highlights of our trip thus far.
We walked around the lodge some and rested our feet on the veranda, sitting in chairs outside overlooking the lake. We had 6:30 dinner reservations at the Lodge restaurant and were treated to a gourmet meal in rustic lodge settings. A roaring fire in the Great Room beckoned us to come sit by the fire a while but all the rocking chairs were occupied by old geezers. I woke around 12:45 in the morning, looked out the window to an amazingly star-filled sky so I quickly dressed and went outside. It was well worth the effort. I saw the Milky Way stand out and more stars in the clearest conditions I have seen in a long while. In the morning I walked outside about 6:30 am Saturday morning to see sunrise on the lake. I was about an hour late but the sight was still impressive.
We packed up for an early departure today since I woke so early and headed south for the California border. We have had no phone service or Internet for a few days so when we get to our hotel tonight I should have more to post. We did leave Crater Lake in the mid-30s this morning and arrived in Red Bluff, California at 95 degrees. Quite a change for today!
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